What Is Candida Albicans?

Candida Albicans is an opportunistic fungus (or form of yeast) that is the cause of many undesirable symptoms ranging from fatigue and weight gain, to joint pain and gas.

The Candida Albicans yeast is a part of the gut flora, a group of microorganisms that live in your mouth and intestine. When the Candida Albicans population starts getting out of control it weakens the intestinal wall, penetrating through into the bloodstream and releasing its toxic byproducts throughout the body.

As they spread, these toxic byproducts cause damage to your body tissues and organs, wreaking havoc on your immune system. The major waste product of yeast cell activity is Acetaldehyde, a poisonous toxin that promotes free radical activity in the body. Acetaldehyde is also converted by the liver into ethanol (drinking alcohol). Some people even report feeling a drunk or hungover feeling along with debilitating fatigue from the high amounts of ethanol is their system.

Do You Have Candida?

Almost everyone has Candida Albicans in their gut, and a significant proportion of us may have Candidiasis, or an overgrowth of Candida. Candida Albicans starts to cause trouble when there is some change in your body that allows it to overgrow. This change could be anything from a few courses of antibiotics, a prolonged diet rich in carbohydrates and sugar, or even something as common as a lengthy period of stress at work.

So if you suspect that you have an overgrowth, the first place to look is your lifestyle to find what could have caused this imbalance. Antibiotics? Oral contraceptives? A diet high in sugar and carbohydrates? Alcohol and drugs? Stress? Or all of the above? Eliminating all of these risk factors is a crucial step in tackling your Candida problem.

Many sufferers of Candidiasis remain undiagnosed by their doctors and unaware of their condition. Unfortunately, many doctors don’t recognize the systemic problems that Candidiasis causes. They only treat the symptoms such as vaginal infection or oral thrush. Don’t be surprised if your doctor thinks it’s all in your head and sends you off with a anti-depression prescription. Some healthcare professionals don’t believe in Candida, so you need to find a doctor with an open mind, or see a naturopath, homeopathic doctor or kinesiologist.

Is Candida Albicans Always A Bad Thing?

So why is Candida a bad thing? Ordinarily it isn’t – the Candida Albicans population is kept under control by the friendly bacteria in our gut. However, when your immune system is down, Candida starts to multiply and can quickly take over.

The overgrowth of Candida Albicans produces toxins that your body’s immune system can struggle to cope with. The wide-ranging side effects of this battle range from headaches and fatigue to abdominal pain and depression.

The occurrence of Candidiasis has actually been increasing rapidly over the last few decades. Our modern diet of processed food and sweets is partly to blame, but so are the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes, plus the much more frequent use of antibiotics.

Candidiasis is a debilitating condition that prevents you from waking up strong, healthy and bursting with energy. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to fight it.